Panel 1: Ensuring Data Protection: Technical Methods

What practices and standards for collection, storage, analysis and use or distribution of electronic information would support the value that may be obtained from such information, but also provide appropriate protections?

Question from Michael Merritt on publishing data specifically changed only to reveal statistical results. Won’t others want to challenge the results and look into the full data set for other correlations that might call into question the published results?

Comment from audience on the feasibility of constructing techniques for preserving privacy while using data to design services. With respect to privacy preserving processes, it is important to distinguish between the research/academic context and the business context.

Anecdote from audience on video recording patients to aid in the understanding of certain conditions. Would these videos be data, and where would the fall under copyright law? Data on certain conditions is very scattered; perhaps the best solution is to “keep the person whole” for the sake of understanding and store information on them in a “privacy vault.”